Assessment of occupational radiation exposure and evaluation of the radiation protection awareness among medical staff in radiological facilities in the Southern Province of Saudi Arabia

Unquestionably, one of the most effective medical diagnostic methods is ionizing radiation in radiography, despite its possible hazards. This study aims to evaluate occupational radiation exposure and radiation safety assessment for medical staff working in HCFs in the Southern Province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Three hospitals were randomly selected from January to December 2021 to conduct the study. The radiation survey was carried out to measure radiation levels at different points inside the radiology departments of the targeted hospitals. A questionnaire was carried out to assess radiation protection safety, and the TLD of the workers was collected and analyzed to gauge their occupational exposure dose. The annual average effective dose of the selected hospitals (Hospitals 1, 2, and 3) varied in the range of 0.98, 0.96, and 1.32 mSv, respectively. Even though the results are well below the allowed annual limit of 20 mSv in a single year, it is considered high if we know that the selected hospitals do not have nuclear medicine or radiotherapy departments. The radiation survey showed a dangerous rise in the level of radiation in the CT scan room of one of the hospitals. Regarding the radiation safety questionnaire, there is a lack of understanding of radiation protection measures. 45 % of the workers stated that some radiation protection tools (lead gowns, lead gloves, lead glasses, and lead thyroid cover) were unavailable. 13% of workers have never attended a radiation protection lecture, and 34% have received it for over two years.